System and method for artificial intelligence (ai)-based protocol compliance tracking for workplace applications

Abstract

A new approach is proposed that supports protocol compliance by a person in various workplace applications and environments. The proposed approach determines if a person is following a set of protocols/procedures created and defined to ensure safety and efficiency of the workers/employees in his/her workplace environment. This proposed approach focuses on specifying one or more zones of interest, identifying presence of the person and/or an object associated with the person in the one or more zones of interest, classifying a sequence of activities and/or postures of the person, and determining the durations of the activities. A is notified if it is determined that the person is not in compliance with the set of protocols in the workplace environment. In addition, data collected from the one or more zones of interest is stored securely in a local site to protect confidentiality of production processes as well as privacy of the person.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system to support workplace protocol compliance tracking, comprising:
 a human activity tracking engine configured to
 accept information of a person collected by one or more of a video camera, an audio input device, and one or more sensors at one or more zones of interest; 
 track and identify a sequence of activities of the person at the one or more zones of interest; 
   a protocol compliance engine configured to
 define a set of protocols to be complied with in the one or more zones of interest; 
 determine if the person is in compliance with the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest or not; 
 notify a user if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the one or more zones of interest is a factory area, an office space, or a designated area.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a secured local storage configured to securely maintain the collected information of the person at the one or more zones of interest, wherein the secured local storage is accessible under data access control policies.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the human activity tracking engine is configured to detect presence of the person or an object associated with the person at the one or more zones of interest from the collected information.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the human activity tracking engine is configured to track and/or record an amount of time the person spent in the one or more zones of interest or doing certain activities in order to ascertain the person's compliance with the set of protocols.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the set of protocols cover one or more of: the one or more zones of interest, presence of the person in the one or more zones of interest, the sequence of activities by the person or an object in the one or more zones of interest, and duration of the sequence of activities.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to enforce the set of protocols that are mandatory in a workplace environment to ensure worker safety.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to enforce the set of protocols for operational efficiency at a workplace environment.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to detect non-compliance of the person due to unauthorized removal of a product or an inventory in a work environment.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to provide one or more of a notification or a phone call to the manager-in-charge, a notification in the user portal monitored by a designated employee, and an alert to a smart mobile device if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to report to the user in form of a dashboard in order for the user to track key events and analyze statistics about whether the set of protocols are being followed or violated.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to alert the person directly that his/her activities are not in compliance with the set of protocols and need to be corrected if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to utilize an existing alarm system to notify the person of a violation event in order to minimize the risk to the person and/or other affected/surrounding person.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protocol compliance engine is configured to accept input from an existing alarm system to identify an escalation event when the set of pre-defined protocols is being violated.   
     
     
         15 . A method to support workplace protocol compliance tracking, comprising:
 accepting information of a person collected by one or more of a video camera, an audio input device, and one or more sensors at one or more zones of interest;   defining a set of protocols to be complied with in the one or more zones of interest;   tracking and identifying a sequence of activities of the person at the one or more zones of interest;   determining if the person is in compliance with the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest or not;   notifying a user if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 securely maintaining the collected information of the person at the one or more zones of interest on a secured local storage, wherein the secured local storage is accessible under data access control policies.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 detecting the presence of the person or an object associated with the person at the one or more zones of interest from the collected information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 tracking and/or recording an amount of time the person spent in the one or more zones of interest or doing certain activities in order to ascertain the person's compliance with the set of protocols.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 enforcing the set of protocols that are mandatory in a workplace environment to ensure worker safety.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 enforcing the set of protocols for operational efficiency at a workplace environment.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 detecting non-compliance of the person due to unauthorized removal of a product or an inventory in a work environment.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing one or more of a notification or a phone call to the manager-in-charge, a notification in the user portal monitored by a designated employee, and an alert to a smart mobile device if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 reporting to the user in form of a dashboard in order for the user to track key events and analyze statistics about whether the set of protocols are being followed or violated.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 alerting the person directly that his/her activities are not in compliance with the set of protocols and need to be corrected if the person is in violation of the set of protocols at the one or more zones of interest.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 utilizing an existing alarm system to notify the person of a violation event in order to minimize the risk to the person and/or other affected/surrounding person.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 accepting input from an existing alarm system to identify an escalation event when the set of pre-defined protocols is being violated.